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Thursday 24 September

5 updates
Hotels
Hospitality TechnologyUnited States

Long John Silver's Advances Digital Transformation

Long John Silver's, a seafood and chicken chain with nearly 500 locations, is advancing a digital transformation led by Tim Newton, chief technology officer and head of brand operations, who joined in 2024. The brand upgraded its point-of-sale system to a cloud-based setup in 2019 and is now replacing static cardboard menu boards with digital displays, testing computer vision and predictive analytics at the drive-thru speaker box, and piloting five voice AI solutions. With average unit volumes of $1.1 million, any technology added must make financial sense and fit a demographic that includes older and more rural guests. Newton said tech integration is not about cutting labor but redistribut…

Hotels
Skift FeedUnited States

Wyndham CEO: Gen Z Now Makes Up Nearly 10% of Membership Base

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts President and CEO Geoff Ballotti said at the Skift Global Forum in New York that Gen Z now accounts for nearly 10% of the company's revenue and membership base, up from around 3% three years ago. Combined with millennials, that share has risen from roughly the high 20s to approaching 40%. Ballotti called the demographic's downstream earnings potential important, and said reaching it requires more than a competitive points program, with experiences playing a key role — for example, dozens of packages built around the Harry Styles world tour through a partnership with Madison Square Garden.

Hotels
Hospitality TechnologyAtlanta / United States

How Church's Texas Chicken manages tech creep

At the Restaurant Technology Network's (RTN) September town hall, Jeff Caplan, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Church's Texas Chicken, shared how to manage growing technology demand with limited resources. Church's has more than 1,500 locations worldwide, and the broadening scope of technology, accelerated by AI adoption, is increasing pressure. Caplan grounds every technology decision in maximizing unit-level economics, focusing on guest experience, making it easier to prepare great food, and making restaurants easier to manage. About 80% of U.S. locations are franchised. The company is building a corporate data lake producing AI-based and traditional analytics delive…

OTA / TMC
Skift FeedNew York / United States

Booking CEO: Building the AI Travel Agent Isn't the Hard Part

Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel said at the Skift Global Forum in New York City that building an AI travel agent like Instinct wouldn't be that hard, but the real challenge is establishing trust. He argued there is more to travel than handling the transaction, and that travelers want to deal with real people when safeguarding credit card details and other sensitive information. Booking Holdings is still moving forward with AI initiatives, including its ad deal with OpenAI and integration on Google.

Hotels
Skift FeedNew York / United States

Hilton CEO Sees More Room to Improve Owner Margins

Hilton President and CEO Christopher Nassetta said at the Skift Global Forum in New York City that hotel owners have had an abnormal, difficult decade — from the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and anemic growth in 2017-2018, to the pandemic wiping out more than 90% of revenue, a stimulus-fueled recovery, and then weak growth with high inflation. He said he began developing a response in late 2024 and early 2025; Hilton launched Project Rise last June and rolled it out this year, committing to return 75 to 100 basis points of incremental margin to owners.

Wednesday 23 September

6 updates
Air & distribution
Business Travel NewsSydney / Australia / New York / United States

Qantas to Launch Nonstop Sydney-New York Flights in 2028

Qantas announced plans to launch the first nonstop commercial service between Sydney and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in mid-2028, with tickets scheduled to go on sale in August 2027. Part of the carrier's ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise initiative, the route will be operated by Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft configured with 238 seats across four cabins and fitted with an additional fuel tank allowing up to 22 hours of nonstop flight. The new service will cut more than three hours from the current one-stop option, making the journey about 18 hours. Qantas has 12 of the planes on order, with the first scheduled for delivery in April. The first Project Sunrise route, Sydney-…

Air & distribution
Business Travel NewsPennsylvania / New Jersey / New York / United States

U.S. DOT to Seek $30B More for Air Traffic System Funding

Citing a Reuters report, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a Washington speech that he would ask Congress to approve an additional $30 billion for air traffic control towers, software and digital upgrades and airport facility improvements. About $10 billion is dedicated to replacing aging ATC towers, $10 billion to telecom and other tech systems used by air traffic control, and $10 billion to airports including runways. The comments came a day after a Northeast telecom outage caused ground stops at Philadelphia, Newark and Teterboro airports and significant delays at LaGuardia and JFK. On Monday, Newark Liberty canceled 55 percent of departing and 49 percent of…

Hotels
Hotel Dive FeedUnited States / Chicago

7,000 union hotel workers in Chicago authorize strike

More than 7,000 Chicago hotel workers with Unite Here Local 1 voted 85% to authorize a strike over better wages and benefits. Contracts expired Aug. 31, and a strike could be called at any time, which the union says would be the largest hotel strike in the city's history. Employers include Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott International. Workers seek higher pay to keep up with inflation, healthcare and pension benefits, civil rights protections and safer workloads. The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association said it is deeply concerned about the negative impact on employees, visitors, hotels and the city, but impacted hotels have robust contingency plans and plan to remain open. Chicago's last major…

Hotels
Hotel Dive FeedCalifornia / San Jose / United States

Hilton debuts Home2 Suites Clean Energy Prototype

Hilton launched the Home2 Suites by Hilton Clean Energy Prototype, an optional design concept for the upper-midscale extended-stay brand featuring all-electric systems, renewable energy and high-efficiency building technologies, and its first prototype designed for zero operational emissions. Hilton says it addresses rising hotel operating costs and evolving energy markets, with potential annual energy cost reductions of 18% to 40% and roughly 30% greater energy efficiency. Energy modeling in San Jose, California, found an estimated 32% annual energy cost reduction, a $670,000 increase in potential asset valuation and a 0.6% lower net cost to build versus the traditional prototype.

Data & research
US BTS Statistical ReleasesCalifornia / Canada / North Dakota / Mexico / Michigan / Texas / New York / United States

North American Transborder Freight Reaches $157.6 Billion in July 2026, Up 18.8%

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) released transborder freight data on September 23: total freight between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico reached $157.6 billion in July 2026, up 18.8% year over year. U.S.-Canada freight was $62.8 billion, up 7.8%, while U.S.-Mexico freight was $94.8 billion, up 27.5%. By mode, trucks moved $108.2 billion, up 23.9%; railways $15.6 billion, up 8.7%; pipelines $10.4 billion, up 15.4%; vessels $9.9 billion, up 12.0%; and air $5.9 billion, down 3.8%. Laredo, Ysleta, and Detroit were the top ports by value, with computer-related machinery and parts the largest commodity.

OTA / TMC
Skift FeedNew York City / United States

Uber CEO: Hotel Booking Is a 'Generalized Bet' as Travelers Come to Us

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said at the Skift Global Forum in New York that the company's April launch of hotel booking in its app through a partnership with Expedia was part of a "generalized bet" on the direction of the travel industry. He said that because Uber operates in more than 70 countries and delivers in more than 100, the traveler comes to Uber.

Tuesday 22 September

12 updates
Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerEU / United States

EU Commission President Unveils EU KIDS Act Social Media Age Limits

European Commission President von der Leyen presented the EU KIDS Act at a high-level dialogue in New York, banning social media for under-13s and personal accounts for under-15s. Children aged 13 to 15 would only use parent-set and supervised mini accounts with limited features and a 60-minute daily cap that parents can reduce. The law would reverse the burden of proof, requiring platforms to demonstrate their services are safe for children or lose access to them. She cited a July Eurobarometer finding that 92% of Europeans want more action to protect children online.

Hotels
Hilton Stories RSSUnited States

Hilton Launches Home2 Suites Clean Energy Prototype

Hilton introduced the Home2 Suites by Hilton Clean Energy Prototype, an optional, scalable hotel design concept for new U.S. builds that combines all-electric systems, renewable energy and high-efficiency building technologies. Based on modeling across 13 U.S. cities, the design is expected to cut annual energy costs by 18% to 40%, improve energy efficiency by about 30% and reduce operational carbon emissions by roughly 440 metric tons. Hilton calls it its first zero-operational-emissions prototype made widely available to owners, supported by Hilton Supply Management's energy procurement program.

Hotels
Accor News & StoriesManhattan / New York / United States

Accor's MGallery Signs New York's Ink 48 as U.S. Flagship for 2028

Accor's boutique brand MGallery Collection announced the signing of Ink 48 in Manhattan, New York, as its U.S. flagship hotel. Located in Hell's Kitchen, the property has 222 guestrooms including 17 suites, a rooftop bar, a restaurant and about 6,000 square feet of meeting space. Following the signing, the hotel will undergo extensive renovation while continuing to operate independently, before officially joining MGallery in 2028 under Rebel Hotel Company management. MGallery currently has more than 125 hotels worldwide with over 60 projects in development.

Air & distribution
Business Travel NewsGermany / Europe / Frankfurt / Boston / Los Angeles / New York / United States / Chicago

Condor Adds American Airlines as Interline Partner

Frankfurt-based Condor announced an interline agreement with American Airlines, effective immediately. Travelers from more than 150 cities served by American can connect to Condor's transatlantic gateways in Boston, New York JFK and Los Angeles; Chicago will be added in May 2027 when Condor launches Chicago-Frankfurt flights. Travelers can book the entire journey across both airlines on a single ticket with baggage checked through to final destinations. Condor also recently announced an interline partnership with Qantas.

OTA / TMC
Expedia Group Newsroom全球 / United States / Seattle

Expedia Group Advertising and Redion Announce First Travel Protection Partnership

Expedia Group announced a multi-year marketing collaboration with Redion (formerly Europ Assistance worldwide and Generali Global Assistance in the U.S.), marking the first time a travel insurance and assistance brand has joined Expedia Group Advertising as a dedicated partner and opening an entirely new advertiser category. The two companies have worked together for more than 15 years, with Redion providing travel protection to Expedia Group customers; this collaboration moves the relationship beyond product distribution into a strategic advertising alliance with co-branded editorial, on-platform experiences and targeted activations rolling out across Expedia Group brands from Q3 2026. Exp…

Hotels
IHG NewsroomChina / Thailand / United States / United Kingdom / Portugal / Vietnam / Oman / Montenegro

IHG Luxury & Lifestyle Portfolio Earns 2026 MICHELIN Key Recognition

IHG Hotels & Resorts announced broad recognition across its Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio in the 2026 MICHELIN Key selection, with 51 properties awarded across four brands: Six Senses, InterContinental, Regent and Kimpton. Six Senses London earned its first MICHELIN Key in its opening year, Six Senses Zighy Bay was elevated to Two Keys, and four Regent properties were recognised. The business now spans more than 600 hotels worldwide across six brands.

Hotels
Hotel Dive FeedCalifornia / Mountain View / United States

Former Remington CEO launches AI Hospitality Group, an AI-native hotel operator

Former Remington Hospitality CEO Sloan Dean launched AI Hospitality Group (AIHG) on Monday, describing it as the "first AI-native hotel operating company." Proprietary AI agents work across a hotel's existing PMS, POS, revenue, labor, finance and sales systems to run back-of-house functions autonomously, while a fully human team handles guest-facing operations. Rather than licensing software to existing operators, AIHG signs the hotel management agreement and takes responsibility for the P&L, charging a percentage of profit. It launched with design partnerships at The Ameswell Hotel in Mountain View, California, and two Parable Hospitality properties, backed by $7.5 million in seed funding.

Data & research
Hotel Dive FeedUnited States

Hotel recovery isn't waiting on rate cuts

In an opinion piece, AWH Partners co-founder Russ Flicker argues the 2026 first-half hotel recovery was driven by demand rather than monetary policy. CoStar and Tourism Economics upgraded their full-year 2026 U.S. RevPAR growth forecast to 2.8% after national RevPAR rose 4% year over year in the first four months and the first quarter set a record, while the Fed held its benchmark rate at 3.5% to 3.75% in the first half. The article distinguishes operating from transaction fundamentals: stabilized asset cap rates are around 8.0% to 8.5% and upscale/upper-midscale near 9.5%, both multiyear highs, and nearly 70% of the $18.7 billion in hotel CMBS loans maturing in 2026 carry floating rates.

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerUkraine / Norway / EU / New York City / United States

Von der Leyen Meets Norwegian PM Støre in New York

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly. They discussed longstanding Norway-EU cooperation based on common values and interests, and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, reaffirming support for the Ukrainian people with political, military, financial and humanitarian assistance. Von der Leyen highlighted the importance of the EEA Agreement and its full implementation, and welcomed Norway's September 18 measures to accelerate incorporation of the backlog of EU acts.

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerIndia / Indonesia / EU / Australia / United States

Von der Leyen Summit Speech: EU Backs Multilateralism With 80 Trade Agreements

European Commission President von der Leyen spoke at the Summit in Support of Multilateralism in New York, stressing the importance of partnerships in a fractured world and noting the EU is expanding its network of trade agreements, now numbering 80, including India, Australia, Mercosur and Indonesia. She said these partnerships bring prosperity and economic security and serve as a platform for shared standards, shared rules and support for the WTO and its reform. She also called the UN indispensable, citing the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and said the EU supports the UN80 initiative for a simpler, more efficient United Nations.

Hotels
Hospitality TechnologyUnited States / Americas / United Kingdom

Self-Order Kiosks Reshape QSR Operations: Higher Checks and Faster Throughput

Hospitality Technology reports that global QSR self-ordering kiosk deployments are forecast to top 750,000 by 2030, up from 450,000 today, with the Americas holding the largest share and the U.S. hosting nearly one-third of all units worldwide. Brands including Portillo's, Qdoba, Bobby's Burgers, WOWorks and Mokas Coffee & Eatery shared practices showing the primary ROI is not labor reduction but higher ticket averages and peak-hour throughput. About 35% of Portillo's dine-in orders come through kiosks, and the chain has made three to five 24-inch kiosks standard in new builds; a Starbucks UK pilot showed 12% higher average transaction value than traditional POS. Operators also stress place…

Hotels
Hospitality TechnologyCanada / Ontario / United States

WOWorks Turns to Self-Ordering Kiosks to Scale Co-Branded Concepts

WOWorks, parent of Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, Barberitos and Zoup! Eatery, has opened 27 restaurants this year with 12 more in development, bringing its footprint to nearly 240 nationwide and a pace of nearly 38 new locations by year-end. Co-branding accounts for nearly half of year-to-date openings, but the clash between pay-first and pay-last workflows created a register bottleneck. The company responded by deploying self-ordering kiosks, with more than 10 locations now kiosk-only and a legacy register kept solely for cash. CEO Kelly Roddy said kiosks let guests enter a full multi-brand order at once and route it to different stations, while…

Monday 21 September

2 updates